Dad thanks hospitals by walking 120 miles to deliver items for premature and sick babies

Dad thanks hospitals by walking 120 miles to deliver items for premature and sick babies

17 November is World Prematurity Day, a day of raising awareness for the 15 million babies born premature every year, worldwide.

17 November is World Prematurity Day, a day of raising awareness for the 15 million babies born premature every year, worldwide. To mark the occasion, Craig Stinson, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire will be walking 120 miles to deliver blankets, clothes, hats, and toys to babies in seven different hospitals in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

Craig is doing the walk to say thank you, after having his own experience of having a premature baby. His daughter Ebony was born 14 weeks premature, at the Royal Derby Hospital, weighing just 1.1lb. She had to spend four months in hospital, but happily was able to go home and is now a cheerful two and a half year old.

Craig is setting out on the morning of 14 November, and aims to finish on World Prematurity Day, in the early hours of 17 November. He’ll be making deliveries to:

Kingsmill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashford, Nottinghamshire

Nottingham City Hospital

Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham

Glenfield Hospital, Leicester

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Royal Derby Hospital

Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Derbyshire

Craig, who is also a Bliss volunteer, says: “When Ebony was born and in the Royal Derby Hospital I was petrified of going to visit her, but for the best part of two days I was the only one who could, as my partner Heidi was still in a critical but stable condition after giving birth.

Right from the very first moment I set foot on the unit, up until she was finally discharged, the staff were fantastic with me and put me at ease by telling me what was happening with her treatment.

However, during our time on the unit, due to the demand for blankets, clothing, hats, bibs etc., there were shortages. So, I decided to try and ask for donated items requested by the hospitals directly.

The reason I chose to do it for those seven hospitals is that I saw a lot of babies being transferred from Royal Derby to specialist hospitals such as Glenfield and Queens Med for surgery, before coming back to Derby.

I’m very happy to do this for a great cause. The staff at these hospitals do a fantastic job for families and ask for nothing in return.”